BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- A Palestinian intelligence officer and member of an official investigation committee on Sunday accused Palestinian figures of killing late president Yasser Arafat.

Fahmi Shabana made the comments during an interview with Israeli journalist Yoni Bin Manahim, which was published Sunday on Israel's Reshet Bet new-site.

Shabana said that two Palestinian figures were involved in Arafat's death, a security figure from the Gaza Strip and a political figure who helped cover up the crime.

The Palestinian leadership has information on the death of Yasser Arafat which it will never make public, Shabana said, adding that Al-Jazeera's recent report aimed to end President Abbas' political career.

Allegations of foul play have long surrounded Arafat's demise in November 2004 after French doctors who treated him in his final days said they could not establish the cause of death.

The controversy surrounding Arafat's death was reignited by an Al Jazeera expose last week in which the Swiss Radiophysics Institute said it found "surprisingly" high levels of polonium-210 on Arafat's clothing - the same substance used to kill former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006.

The Swiss institute said, however, that the symptoms described in the Palestinian president's medical reports were not consistent with the radioactive agent.

The Palestinian Authority has agreed to exhume his body from Ramallah to complete investigations, but has yet to set a date to carry it out.

Allegations of foul play - and of Palestinian involvement in it - have long marked factional fighting among Palestinians.

Reuters contributed to this report

1 ) Mel / USA

16/07/2012 14:03

Oh Lord! Here we go again!Unearthing deceased,to play another 'Divide & Rule'the factions,again,heighten the division,B4 they REMEMBER they have to be UNITED & DEMAND their Palestinian Statehood,as is their legal right-ABOVE ALL ELSE-as indigenous Arab people! Don't tell me? Hamas will get the blame.Intifada(Ramadan)starts recruiting more Fatah/PLO to join(USG/Israel)the coup on Syria(Hamas/Hezbollah/Iran/Shiites?Big "justification"4 Zionism to delay its biggest FEAR? Palestinian(majority)UNITY!

2 ) WAS / UK

16/07/2012 14:20

Mohammad Dahlan & Mahmoud Abbas.

3 ) Rare Honest report / here

16/07/2012 14:38

KUDOS!

4 ) Robby / USA

16/07/2012 16:31

Looks like this one will never be fully solved, or course lots of people will claim to know what happened. Guess it makes good fodder for the newspapers. Maybe he and Elvis are both still alive and hiding out in the the Cayman Islands.

5 ) southparkbear / usa

16/07/2012 18:13

hehehehe, it is getting even better with time. should we ask someone like Bill O'Reilly to write a new book Killing Arafat?

6 ) MATT / USA

16/07/2012 21:41

Actually he isnt dead, i saw him and elvis at disney world

7 ) shirley / australia

17/07/2012 02:16

palestinians need to have full independant inquest like Rafik harriri the fact is Who gave them Polonium the Frenchmentioned 2004 THALLIUM poisoning which is radiuoactive and possible cause of death there had to be some reason radioactivity mentioned A full autopsy is needed and it is obcvious some oneclose to ARRAFAT either gave or allowed someone in to poison him he could not leave the compound US hands may also be implicatedit was stated swiss may be able to trace plonium sourceLIVENKO death

8 ) southparkbear / usa

17/07/2012 18:43

shirley, the palestinians already wrote the conclusion they just wait till the fight a committee who could work out the script

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